A Quebec ban on homegrown cannabis that had been opposed by critics has been upheld by Canada’s top court, reports AFP.

Critics had maintained that the ban on cannabis grown at home was at odds with federal legalization that allows a few plants to be grown for personal use, according to AFP.
The court upheld the ban unanimously with Chief Justice Richard Wagner saying that both the ban and the federal law shared the same objective which is to fight against a cannabis black market. He said that the prohibition was “a means of steering consumers to the only source of supply considered to be reliable and safe” and that it ensures “control of the quality of the products offered, education on the risks of cannabis consumption and compliance with rules on the minimum age for purchasing cannabis.”
A summary of the court ruling read: “In pursuing public health and security objectives, the Quebec legislature has jurisdiction to prohibit the possession and cultivation of cannabis (at home) for personal purposes.”
Canada legalized recreational cannabis in 2018 wit the federal law permitting possession and cultivation of up to four cannabis plants for personal use. Quebec chose to make cannabis available to consumers only through government stores, according to AFP.